Episode 14: Coaches on the Couch - Pregnancy and Endurance Training

On today’s episode of Coaches on the Couch, Coach Philip has guest speakers: Susie Cheetham, Angela Jameson and Emma Hatzis. The aim of this conversation was to educate and empower pregnant and postpartum female athletes in an informed manner while attempting to clarify and dispel any myths or misunderstandings around pregnancy and endurance sport. In this honest, transparent and enlightening episode, we cover a whole range of experiences and lessons that these three experts want to share with you.

Susie Cheetham is a GB runner turned professional triathlete: Course record holder at IRONMAN Hamburg, a frequent contender on Alii drive with 6th places at the World Championships. Both Susie and her husband Rob are coaches themselves. Susie is expecting her first child shortly!

Angela Jameson runs Physically Fit UK. Angela is overly qualified: after a degree in sports science, she turned her hand as a physical trainer and pilates instructor where she is a leading expert on pre and postnatal pilates, health and well being. Her brother-in-law is ex-professional triathlete Joel Jameson and so she understands the sport of triathlon.

Emma Hatzis is a top age-group triathlete, after being the fastest AG at Staffordshire 70.3 in 2018 and the overall winner at IMUK in 2019, she competed at her first World Championships in 2019. She also has been dragged into this episode as she has the pleasure of being coach Philip's wife! They are expecting in early January.

Please note, there was an issue with the sound quality for the first 10 mins, the rest is all good!

Tri Training HarderDecember 7, 2020Coaches on the Couch, Pregnancy, Coaching, Training, Philip Hatzis, Female AthleteComment

How to pick the best Race Buddies

Are you planning on racing with a bunch of clubmates or friends? Do you know how you will cope? Will you be the easygoing traveller, or will you be the one who carries their nerves quite obviously? Coach Philip addresses some key points of self-reflection that athletes should go through before travelling to a race with others.

Endurance Athletes – Training Through the Menopause

Training through the menopause is often a confusing and difficult time. In this article, which was first published for the Castle Race Series, Coach Philip looks at the changes and how athletes can navigate them.

Are Training Plans Dead?

In this latest article, coach Philip explores whether a training plan is now dead. He also looks into the rise of artificial intelligence and its impact on the sports industry.

How do you get faster at endurance races without any training?

In this article, Coach Philip explores how athletes are often distracted by the enormity of the task and get excited about the headline sessions instead of ensuring that all the fundamentals are in place to improve their chances of success or, more importantly, reduce the probability of failure.

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How to be an endurance athlete post menopause?

In a recent series of blogs Coach Denise has looked at the impact of the menstrual cycle, contraception and perimenopause on the female athlete. In this article she looks at what athletes and coaches should consider in the postmenopausal phase of life.

Should we dial down our FTP after the off-season?

In this latest article, coach Philip Hatzis explores how much we should dial back our FTP after an off-season break, or even if we should!? Read on to learn how to adapt your training after taking some time off.

Perimenopause and the athlete

In earlier articles Coach Denise has looked at the impact of the menstrual cycle on the female athlete, and how to train effectively within the body’s natural rhythm. In this article, Coach Denise looks at the impact that perimenopause can have on the athlete, and how to continue to train effectively through this phase of your life.

How can I do better at test sessions?

As we look to the new season, testing is one of the first things many athletes will do. This will be the form of benchmarking to understand initial fitness levels, biomechanics or other areas. Various aspects of training and performance will be measured and improved upon in the coming months. Yet, often, athletes dislike “test week” and miss out on brilliant opportunities to improve. Coach Philip Hatzis explores the topic of improving your testing sessions in this article.

How do I know if I should train if I am not feeling 100%?

At some point in their athletic career, every athlete has a point when they’re unsure if they should or should not train. This is often a result of illness or fatigue or something similar. They are feeling a bit “yuck” but do not necessarily understand why, which makes deciding whether they should train a tough challenge. In this article, coach Philip Hatzis explores how athletes can decide whether to train or not.

Should Goals be Time-bound?

In this article, Coach Philip explores goal setting and the commonly accepted approach to goal-setting that may actually inhibit performance by forcing a time constraint on athletes where no time may be the best option.

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Are Coaches Sacrificing Health for Performance?

In this article, Coach Philip explores some trends we are starting to see with new athletes who have been previously coached by others. Though athletes often start working with coaches for performance, we are also responsible for ensuring that athletes are healthy and safe. This article looks at some examples and highlights some things that athletes and coaches can do to enable a better approach to athlete welfare.

How to plan for a triathlon season

Love it or loathe it, the topic of planning is central to all sports, none more so than multi discipline endurance sports. Helping to focus time, effort and energy, great plans can produce the best results on race day. In this blog Coach Denise looks at the topic of planning, why it helps within the sport of triathlon and how a coach can help you to help yourself.

How to become effective in swimming in the waves

Being able to swim in a pool is not quite the same as being able to swim in open water. In this latest article, Coach Rita explores her learning experience when she took an open water swim session with some British athletes and her surprise at the skills gap between their swimming ability and open water experience.

How simple mistakes in reflection can you stifle your athletic development?

In this latest article, Coach Philip looks at some common ways that athletes fail to reflect appropriately and lose an excellent opportunity to learn, grow and evolve between seasons. Have a read at how you can ensure you don’t make the same mistakes and build on each season.

How athletes should build up, not just back

Too many people strive without addressing the basics and miss the greater opportunities. Equally, some people never dream big enough. Both realities hinder performance and progression, but both can be fixed with genuine self-awareness and feedback. Read on to see what you can learn.

Episode 14: Coaches on the Couch - Pregnancy and Endurance Training

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